The Hybrid List
by DizzlyPuzzled
Summary: A single name on the list that changes everything.
1. Prologue

The Hybrid List

 _Prologue_

 _"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."_

 _~Malcolm X~_

* * *

 **Queen Industries/ Night Club 1600 Hours**

"There's someone on the list that moved away, but for the next couple weeks he'll be in town," Oliver informed Diggle. "Vlad Masters. He moved while I was gone, but he'll be town for a while."

"I've heard of him. He became mayor of a small town before it burned to the ground. I'm surprised he didn't go with it," Diggle stated as he looked over Oliver's shoulder to the computer screen. "The town had been partly evacuated when the warning first appeared, but no one believed the person who asked for it and it went ignored."

"Who was that?" Oliver asked as he opened up the article. The face of a young teen appeared. He looked like he was in the middle of a battle. Oliver just stared at it wondering why this teen would look like that at all.

"Danny Phantom is apparently a ghost that saves the town from other ghosts," Diggle explained. "He showed up about four years ago. Most people believe him to be nothing more than a legend. Until the town was burned to the ground. Anyone who goes there now disappears and is not heard from ever again. No one knows why."

"So no one knows what happened," Oliver stated as he looked at the teen. "He's just a kid."

"One kid with powers enough to level cities," Diggle stated. "No one has seen him since the fire overtook the city. Most people believe he's the one that kills the people that come to Amity anymore. It was the big story before you arrived. No one knew what happened, and there was no way to get anything from it."

"Well, Masters is still on the list," Oliver stated. "Maybe he could tell us more about the mysterious Amity Park. He might even have had something to do with it."

"Ever since the city was destroyed, he's been surrounded by guards and security," Diggle informed. "We'll need more information before you go see him as the Hood." Oliver frowned as he looked at the time.

"I have to go; we'll continue this later," he stated as he stood up. "I promised my mom that I would be home tonight for dinner. Apparently she's having someone over, and I have a feeling it might be Masters. If it is, I can use it to our advantage to try to gather some information."

"Alright, but be careful," Diggle warned as they headed off.

* * *

 **Masters Mansion Starling City 2100 Hours**

Phantom leaned against the bars wanting nothing more than to be out of there. To be free. Pain spread across his being as he shifted his position. The experiments and torture Plasmius had out him though. He had no idea how long it had been, but he knew that his friends, family, classmates, everyone from Amity. They were gone. The fire consumed them all, and it was his fault. He knew that he shouldn't have trusted Vlad to make sure that everyone was safe. He should have known that Plasmius was partly behind the plan.

He should have known that Plasmius wouldn't help get anyone to safety. It wasn't his obsession to make sure everyone was safe. It was Phantom's. Plasmius only cared about power.

Phantom sighed as he rested his head against the metal bars. He wanted to go home. To protect what wasn't there. His core had been yelling at him, but the more time had passed, the quieter it had gotten. His core was resetting to protect itself and him. He didn't understand nor want this. He looked over at the machines that were watching his heart rate, or core rate now, to see that they were weak. Weaker than they ever had been. He knew he was giving up. There was nothing left for him.

Nothing was there for him anymore. He was alone and in pain. Both mental and psychical pain.

In so much pain.

* * *

 **This was written nearly five years ago.**

 **Holy shit.**

 **However, this is still something I am interested in, so...fuck it. I'll post it and see the response**

 **Ideas are welcome.**

 **As always.**

 **The first two chapters were also written nearly five years ago.**

 **I'm thinking about just dumping a bunch of stories on here that'll I'll never continue, but are still fun to read.**

 **Might just put them on AO3 though. It's easier to tag and do shit on there than here. But I like this one posting stuff better.**

 **Whatever.**


	2. The Finding

The Hybrid List

 _Chapter One_

 _The Finding_

 _"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values – that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control."_

 _~Martian Luther King, Jr.~_

 **Queen's Mansion 1800 Hours**

Oliver entered his home to see his sister storming down the stairs. She looked furious and highly annoyed. She was also dressed well in a black dress. Diggle nodded to him before disappearing off somewhere else in the home.

"Thea, what happened?" Oliver asked concerned about his sister.

"Mom invited Masters here," she growled out. "Apparently he's such a big deal that she wants us all to be there, and then she flipped out when she realized you were still out. It's been driving me crazy." While she explained this, she used crazy hand motions in trying to get her point across. Oliver just found it entertaining. Even if he was surprised that Masters was invited over when he had barely been here for twenty-four hours.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Oliver joked only to get a glare from her.

"He's creepy," she muttered. "When you meet him, you'll see what I mean. His eyes, it's like they're dead." Oliver raised his hands with a smile.

"Alright," he smiled as they headed into the dining room. As soon as he looked at the man his senses told him that this guy was dangerous. That he should be getting out of there with his family. He had never felt like that before. It was hard to ignore, but he had too so he didn't get any of them suspicious. When he looked into his eyes, they did look dead, but there was a hint of malicious in them. He had done a lot. Oliver knew he wouldn't think twice about killing anyone. This was going to be a much more dangerous mission than he originally thought.

"Ah, Mr. Oliver Queen," Masters greeted, and Oliver suddenly felt like he wanted to punch the man. He didn't understand why he felt this way towards someone he didn't even know, but it was clear that there was a reason he was on the list. "It's good to see that you are alive and well after that horrible accident."

"Me too," Oliver stated as he sat next to Thea. He looked at her and nodded while mouthing 'you were right.' She just glared at him with an expression that said I-told-you-so. Oliver shook his head and kept his eyes narrowed on the man that was lightly discussing things with his mother. It was like she didn't even get the feeling that the guy was creepy.

"So, I heard about Amity Park," Oliver stated after about twenty minutes of quiet. "It's strange that an entire town would burn to the ground and no one knows a thing." Oliver hoped that maybe Masters knew more about what happened than what he led on.

"Yes, extremely," Masters frowned looking at Oliver strangely. "My best friend and his lovely family were all killed, and now I'm all alone. Jack was nice enough to actually make that all the research and tech that they had created was given to me. But nothing hurts more than to know that they are now gone." Something felt off, like he wasn't telling everything that had happened. Oliver sighed wondering what he could learn about ghosts since that's what apparently took over the town.

Or if that's even what really happened.

"What about ghosts? Do you really think that they even exist?" Oliver questioned nonchalantly and Thea looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"Since when were you interested in things like that?" she asked nudging his side. Masters looked worried for a moment, but had covered it up quickly. If Oliver hadn't known what to look for, he would have missed it. The guy was good; very good.

"Since I heard that the town was apparently destroyed by them. Usually, wouldn't the government try to cover something like that up? What if that's what they covered that up with? Just a thought," Oliver pretended to muse while watching the man carefully. "Have you ever met a ghost?"

"In fact, I have. Danny Phantom many times. He's tried to attack me before," Masters sighed, and Oliver knew that the man was lying. There was something more. Diggle had said something about a warning being given by Phantom. Phantom probably did warn Vlad outright, and that's why he's still here. He took the warning, but left the city to fend for itself without a leader. He let them all suffer, and it only hardened his resolve to take the man down.

Put an arrow right though his smug stupid face.

"Was it scary?" Thea asked intrigued. Oliver held back a laugh at Master's disgusted look.

"Of course not," he informed snidely. Their mother just looked at him. Moira sighed then deciding that maybe this was a bad idea.

"Well, I was going to talk about the business deal since we were here, but apparently they're more interested in ghost stories," Moira stated with a smile. Masters growled out slightly not wanting to talk about ghosts or anything. He wanted the Queen Company. They had the labs he needed for his experiments. He had already had everything planned out on how he was going to do it as well. Thea grinned noting that Masters seemed to now be slightly uncomfortable. Oliver narrowed his eyes wondering why he was dropping his guard now.

"Well, as much as I enjoyed talking about them before, after Amity was destroyed, they just don't seem that interesting anymore. They are dangerous, and they took my family from me," Masters informed. Oliver understood now. He was trying to get the topic changed along with some sympathy. Pathetic.

"I thought you didn't have a family?" Oliver questioned remembering that Masters was always alone and had never gotten married.

"Sorry, but I counted my friend as family. His lovely wife and children as my own," Masters grinned, and Oliver felt like there was more to that story than the billionaire was letting on. "But I did want to talk about business here. If you don't mind," he let a grin come up on his face and Moira just smiled.

"Very well," she stated as she stood up. "We can go into the office." Oliver just narrowed his eyes as he followed the two.

"See, I told you he was creepy," Thea stated glaring at him. "He using mom."

"I know, but we can't do anything," Oliver stated as he stood up as well. He headed out wondering if he could get a look into Masters' labs. It would be a good start. He needed to know what Masters was working on so he could get something. He felt like there was something there that would help him get to Masters.

Oliver headed across the rooftop. He had a limited time before the systems would be restarted. He headed around careful of anything that could set off the security system. He was quiet and listened for anything. He wanted to figure out what Masters was planning before confronting him. His instincts told him that Masters wasn't like everyone else and that he should do some more investigating, and his labs were held on a closed network. If he wanted to hack into them, then he had to go to the source.

That's when he heard a scream of pure terror and agony. It was something he had heard before while on the island. He quickly and quietly followed them. It didn't sound like something that should be going on. When he realized that the door where the screams were coming from was locked up tight and the only way to go in was a key card, he looked around for a vent.

That's when he smelled the blood. There was something else in it, but suddenly there was a sharp scream before everything fell into silent. Worry ran through his body. He wanted to know what was going on, and he wasn't about to let someone die because he wasn't fast enough. No matter how much more danger he would be putting himself in, the scream sounded like a child. He entered though the vents and when he finally was able to see inside, he felt sick. He may have gone though a lot and seen a lot on that island.

But seeing the teenager being cut open like a corpse was something he really didn't want or need to see. He could see the teen's breathing chest, and the teen was twitching slightly. He growled out and quickly cased the room. There was only one entrance and exit besides the vent. If he wanted to get that teen, then he needed to get those scientists to stitch him back up. He planned everything before striking.

He broke the vent open startling the scientist, but before they could do anything; he had one pinned to the wall while an arrow tip was aimed straight at the other's heart.

"Stitch him up, now," Oliver ordered angrily making the scientist jump and grab the suture kit that they had to use after they were done. Oliver looked at the wound and knew that it had been a reopened thing. It wasn't the first for the teen. When the scientist was finish, Oliver stabbed an arrow though his shirt into the wall to keep him there. He gently put his arms under the teen's legs and arms and picked him up before heading out.

"What…" the teen slurred and Oliver figured that they didn't give the teen a sedative for the pain. He got out his phone to call Diggle. He was not running around town carrying the teen. Even when the teen barely weighed anything.

 _"Oliver?"_

"I need a pick up," Oliver stated as he got out of the building without an issue. An alarm had gone off once he was able to get out. "I may have found our missing ghost." The teen moved slightly and pushed against Oliver. "Hey, kid, stop it. Just hang on."

 _"I'll be right there."_

Oliver went three blocks before stopping and hiding in a few bushes before really looking over the teen. The teen's green eyes opened and stared up at Oliver. Oliver gently ran his hand over the Y cut in the teen's chest making sure that nothing had reopened. The teen shivered slightly and shifted his position.

"Who…who are…are…you?" the teen slurred in pain. Oliver gently rolled the teen on his back, but he could feel the muscles in the teen's back coiled, ready to defend himself.

"I'm a friend," Oliver answered. "Don't move around too much. You're injured. I only want to help." Phantom seemed to have relaxed enough for Oliver to set him so he was laying on his side, but not enough to where it was putting pressure on his chest. Phantom leaned his head over to look up at the man who had saved him.

"Thank…Thank you," the hybrid whispered as he lost consciousness. Oliver pulled his hood back as Diggle pulled up. The man got out, but when he seen the ghost, he stopped.

"What happened?" he demanded wondering why Oliver had the teen on his side facing away from the sidewalk.

"Masters was running experiments on him," Oliver answered. "We need to check him for any kind of tracking devices. They've opened him up many times, and to be honest, he could be the only one who knows what really happened in Amity Park." Diggle nodded and helped Oliver move him to the car. He kept quiet about the wound on the ghost's chest. He already knew what they had done just by the shape of the cut.

"So what do you want me to do?" Diggle asked as he drove off with Oliver in the back making sure that the teen was secure. He got out some wraps and wrapped it around the teen's torso to help prevent the wound from getting dirt or anything in it.

"Drive around until I figure out if you're being followed or he has a tracker placed inside of him," Oliver stated as he picked up a small computer. Diggle nodded and watched for anything that would be following them. He made sure to drive away from their base until they were sure of anything. "We don't want Masters figuring out that we took the ghost."

"That's Phantom, isn't it?" Diggle asked as he stopped at a light. Oliver just focused on the teen half sitting, half laying down.

"I think so. I now know why Masters survived the fire," Oliver whispered as the computer searched for a signal coming from the teenager. Phantom groaned and moved slightly. Oliver gently put his hand on the teen's shoulder which prevented him from sitting up. "Don't move. I don't want you to pull those stitches apart." Phantom looked at his chest and just gave a sigh before closing his eyes. Oliver knew that look.

He was giving up and beginning to lose the fight.

"Diggle, take us though the park," Oliver ordered as he continued to make sure that the teen didn't have any kind of tracker. Diggle nodded and started heading towards the Starling City Park. It was the easiest place to spot a tail at this time of night.

"Hey, kid," Oliver stated shaking the teen's shoulder. "I need you to stay awake right now."

"Why?" the teen whispered blinking up at man.

"Because you're safe now," Oliver promised as he tapped a few things into the computer. "Do you know if they planted a tracker in or on you?" Phantom shook his head.

"Not that I know of. They can track my ecto signature," he whispered looking at him. "In order to hide it, you would have to block the signal." Oliver sighed as he looked at the small computer. He would have to get something that could hide Phantom's ecto signature, and he had no idea where to even start for something like that.

"Do you know how?" Oliver asked wondering if the teen would know how to go something like that. Phantom shifted and lifted his hand for the small computer he had. Oliver handed it to him and watched as the teen typed in a few codes before he had it reprogrammed to hide any kind of tracker around them. Oliver looked at his phone, and it didn't even have service.

"It'll block any kind of signal. Including a ghost's," Phantom whispered handing the computer back to Oliver. "What's your name?" Oliver looked into the ghost's eyes. They were dead, but there was this one spark in them that seemed to be the only thing keeping him alive. That must have been the one thing that the teen had been holding onto. Something he had left to fight for.

"Oliver," he answered watching as the teen gently placed his hand on his chest. "How long have you been in there?"

"I don't know," Phantom whispered as a green glow surrounded his hand. Oliver tensed and ready one of his arrows, but when the glow died, the part of his wound that could still be seen was slightly healed and didn't look like it was going to break open at any moment. The teen slowly sat up while Oliver made sure that he didn't fall over and hurt himself farther or reopen the wound. It still looked pretty bad.

"I'm guessing you really are a ghost," Oliver whispered. He didn't believe it at first, but he knew that keeping an open mind would be the only way to solve this. Phantom looked up at him.

"Was my glow, or lack of a pulse that gave it away?" he asked sarcastically. Oliver just smiled.

"Little bit of everything," he answered. "I heard about what happened in Amity. I know that the city is gone, but I don't have everything to understand what happened."

"Amity's completely gone now, isn't it?" Phantom asked looking up at Oliver. Oliver nodded.

"It appears to be," he informed watching the teen's chest carefully. It was inflamed, and he knew that the kid had to be in agony. Even if he had healed it a little bit. "Why don't you just rest for now, we'll take care of you." Phantom just leaned against the door and blinked.

"If I wasn't in pain like this, I would have already disappeared," Phantom whispered looking out the window at the Glades as they headed back to the base. "I'm not that trusting of a person." Oliver touched an arrow to Phantom's neck making the ghost look at him tiredly.

"Either am I," Oliver informed as the arrow pressed deeper making it uncomfortable for Phantom to move around, but the ghost seemed not to have cared. "What we are doing isn't something we would normally. We made the exception with your wound and condition."

"Thanks, but I can't do anything right now. You won't kill me since you'll need me for something. I have no access to my powers, so I'm completely at your mercy. You saved me for a reason, and I'm sure that'll be shown soon. What would be the point in threatening me?" Phantom whispered. Oliver removed the arrow and looked at the teen who was just sitting there and staring at him.

"You've been in that place way too long," Diggle stated as he turned again and checking his mirrors for anyone who was following me. No one was. "Most kids your age don't like being threatened by anything or be willing to say anything like that."

"You don't how old I really am," Phantom whispered switching his gaze to the driver. Oliver kept the arrow close just in case the teen tried something, but the wound on his chest made Oliver feel rage. This was just a teen, not some lab rat for them to pick on. "But most kids my age, they don't have to worry if they're going to survive the next experiment."

"You have a point," Oliver stated. "But I'm not going to be running any experiments on you though."

"That's how everything worked. I've gone from one torture house to another to do whoever's bidding. I'm guessing you no different," Phantom whispered looking back. "Although, usually they are timed without me being cut open."

"Kid, you should not be talking like that," Diggle stated looking in the rearview mirror at Phantom. Phantom just sighed. "Heck, no one should talk like that."

"How else can I put it?" Phantom whispered looking at the ground. Oliver sighed as they pulled into the back of the old steel mill. "I can't walk on my own. Just so you know." Oliver nodded and got out before going over to the other side and helping Phantom out. The teen stumbled and flinched as remembered and current pain raced across his body.

"You okay," Diggle asked as he took the teen's other side. Phantom looked up.

"And your name?" he questioned wanting to at least try to take his mind off the pain that this was creating.

"You can call me Diggle," he answered as they entered though the back. Phantom looked around the room and sighed.

"I'm guessing that this is my new home for now," Phantom whispered as they helped him up in a chair. Oliver sighed.

"We're not the bad guys," Oliver stated. Phantom looked up at him.

"No, that's me according to everyone that I've ever met," Phantom answered glaring at him. Oliver felt cold surround them, and he knew that whoever had been using the teen told him he was the bad guy and deserved everything that he was getting. The teen didn't even get the chance to prove himself to anyone. It was just a label they gave him to tell themselves that what they were doing was okay.

"I'm not listing you as anything until I learn more about you. So far all I see you as is a victim," Oliver stated as he got out a cup and filled it with water. "You really have no idea how long you've been in that lab."

"Not that lab, but I've probably been thrown between different labs for the past two years," Phantom explained as he took the cup of water and looked at his reflection in the glass. The person that stared back was a stranger to him. His eyes were almost lifeless and dull. His hair looked greyer than bright white.

"What do you know about Vlad Masters?" Oliver asked. It was the first thing he wanted to take care of even though Phantom looked in pain, there was really nothing he could do at the moment, and he didn't want to give him pain killers just yet. He could use that if the teen refused to answer anything. Phantom looked up at him with eyes that glowed a dark, deadly green.

"The monster who sent Amity into panic, who destroyed thousands of lives, who burned the town to the ground without a second thought just so he could have more power," Phantom explained. Diggle felt the temperature drop lower and ice formed on the walls. He looked over that the angered teen realizing that the teen had a lot more power than he thought. The ghost wasn't as weak as he let on. He could protect himself if something was to go wrong. The teen was letting them continue their interrogation while he gathered information from what they knew and strength to get out. "He destroyed them…my family…everyone I cared for and protected." Oliver looked at Diggle and they nodded to each other knowing that going after this man was going to be worth it. They just needed to make sure that Phantom wouldn't do anything that would hurt anyone, and maybe even convince him to help them in their quest to save Starling.

"Phantom, we are going after Masters," Oliver stated knowing that the kid probably had no idea who he was or what he was even doing. Phantom looked up at him.

"Good luck with that. Between his own powers and his wealth, he's untouchable," Phantom stated looking at them making Oliver realize that the teen knew more than he gave him credit for. "There's nothing you can do with the weapons you do have."

"What do you mean by powers?" Diggle asked as he leaned against the computer table realizing that the kid probably knew more about Masters than what they could find out just by hacking into his systems. Phantom turned to him.

"Whatever you guys are doing, you're in way over your head if you think aiming an arrow at Masters is going to get you what you want," Phantom explained looking at them. "He has the same type of powers I have. He's a hybrid like I am. Human weapons will do nothing to him." Phantom had given up much of keeping that a secret anymore. Everyone who was involved knew anyway. Why not add to it? Eventually someone would grow a brain and realize that what was going on was hurting innocent people and put a stop to it. At least that's what Phantom was hoping for.

"A hybrid?" Oliver asked looking at Diggle hoping for an explanation. His partner just shrugged.

"Half ghost, half human," Phantom stated as he leaned back on the chair and started spinning around lazily. He put a protective hand over his chest. "Surprisingly we are the only ones, but I guess you probably don't really care." Oliver looked at Diggle.

"You've been questioned like this before?" Diggle asked making Phantom stop spinning the chair.

"Well, the last time I was tied to a table and the guy had a cattle prod in my side," Phantom stated staring at them. "So you could say that, but I like you guys. You're not trying to force it out of me." Oliver looked at Diggle with confusion before looking back at the ghost who had gone back to spinning in the chair.

"Will you help us take Masters down?" Oliver asked making Phantom stop the chair completely. Phantom looked up at them with a grin.

"After everything he's put me though? I would be happy to help, but there something I want," Phantom challenged leaning forward, but being careful about his wound. Oliver looked at him worried that it was something that would be impossible or hurt someone who was innocent. The teen could want something that no one could get or something that could put many people at risk. Oliver knew that accepting something like that could be dangerous and he kept his guard up just in case the teen tried something funny.

"What would that be?" Diggle asked watching the hybrid spin the chair again.

"Can I be treated as a person, and not a pet?" Phantom asked as he stopped the chair again facing them. "If you want my help, at least treat me like someone who has feelings and not some kind of slave."

"We can agree to that," Diggle stated without missing a beat. Oliver nodded agreeing. Those terms were agreeable and not that hard to follow since the kid just wanted to feel like a person again. Something he could relate to at times. Phantom looked up with a small smile.

"Can I get something to eat then?" the teen asked as he sat up a little straighter hoping that they would keep their word. Diggle nodded.

"I'll bring some back along with some clothes for you," he stated as he walked out. Oliver just studied the teen who probably had gone through hell. Phantom looked up at him.

"So far, you're acting like all the other scientists," Phantom muttered narrowing his eyes slightly annoyed by Oliver studying him so closely. Oliver looked up at him.

"They were trying to figure out your body and what happened to create you, I'm trying to figure out you," Oliver informed sitting down in his chair. "I don't know you that well."

"Point, but honestly, I don't have anything to lose," Phantom whispered leaning forward and narrowing his eyes. "That makes me the most dangerous being in the world right now. You do have something to lose. Your family." Oliver glared back at the ghost before pointing another arrow at the ghost.

"Do not threaten my family," Oliver informed poking the hybrid's forehead. The teen just smiled.

"Good, don't let yourself lose that," Phantom informed leaning back. Oliver watched him carefully. "They can be the greatest of motivators in times of distress."

"You are strange," Oliver stated putting the arrow away trying to figure the ghost out, but all he could really gather is that Phantom had almost given up and was just going with everything. Phantom just shrugged and began spinning the chair again. Oliver leaned back. "Are you really bored or just don't know what to do since you're not strapped down?" Phantom stopped.

"Bit of both, but this is the most freedom I've ever had in a long time," Phantom answered with a small shrug. Oliver looked the teen over.

"How old are you?" he questioned wanting to at least know more about the ghost.

"How old are you?" Phantom questioned back with a grin. "I'll tell you if you tell me." Oliver smiled.

"Twenty-eight, you?" he redirected. Phantom thought for a moment.

"Fine, seventeen," he answered and began spinning the chair. Oliver looked him over. He was the same age as his sister. "Are you just going to ask me a bunch of questions?"

"Probably, you know more about me than my family does right now," Oliver countered. Phantom stopped and stared at him.

"No, I just know something that they don't. I do not know you though," Phantom stated. "Your family will know you better than me. I may know that you run around in tights saving people, but that doesn't mean anything."

"You seem to know a lot about keeping secrets from family then," Oliver stated wanting to know more about the hybrid's family. He might be able to get more information about him if he knew who his family was.

"I never told them who I really was. My sister figured it out, but my parents never knew," Phantom whispered looking at the ground. "Maybe Amity would still be here if they did." Oliver noticed the amount of guilt that was on Phantom's face. He felt guilty over something he could not control because of a secret kept.

"Why did you never tell them?" Oliver asked knowing how it felt to be at fault because of unforeseen events. Phantom looked up at him.

"To protect them," he answered before turning the chair so he was facing away from Oliver. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Talking about your family hurts?" Oliver asked.

"They're gone. I was too late and too weak to save them. It's in the past, the only thing left is to destroy the person who helped destroy them," Phantom answered, and Oliver could feel the hate and anger from the teen. "Can we please talk about something else?"

"How'd you know about Masters?" Oliver questioned making the teen flinch again.

"I was hoping for something other than that," Phantom whispered. "I know him because of my family." Oliver nodded in understanding.

"Your family was close to him?" Oliver asked wondering if he could piece a bit more together. Even from what Masters had mentioned earlier about his friend. Phantom looked at him and shook his head.

"Can't we talk about the weather or something?" Phantom muttered as painful memories reappeared. He thought he had control of that now. He knew he wasn't completely sane at the moment, but he thought he had better control than this. Then again he was more worried about his life than actually what he was saying.

"It's weird not being threatened into giving information for you, isn't it?" Oliver asked knowing how this was uncomfortable for the teen. Phantom looked up at him.

"Talking and actually listening to myself instead of paying attention to whatever the person has to torture me is a little weird. It's kind of sad that I can say that and not even seem to care," Phantom muttered looking around the room sadly. It was official, he was crazy.

"I could strap you to a table," Oliver stated with a smile making Phantom flinch.

"I'll stick to spinning in this chair around in circles until I throw up," Phantom stated spinning faster so it would be hard to stop it without giving away the other's plans. Oliver flinched knowing that was probably not the right thing to say, but he wasn't quite sure of going back into human interactions either.

"What do you know about Master's businesses?" Oliver questioned knowing that he probably was told several things when the scientists were talking. Things he isn't supposed to know. Phantom stopped the chair once more to face him.

"Probably more than Masters himself," Phantom stated looking down at his chest. "Although most of the information tends to be from poked and prodded at. I know that he has at least three companies that he uses to launder money that he makes from selling illegal ghost weapons. Weapons that only hunters are permitted due to the nature of destruction that they will cause. If you've ever been in the middle of a ghost fight, that would be nothing compared to those weapons."

"Military grade?" Oliver asked thinking about what exactly that would do. Phantom shook his head.

"Not even they have access to these types of weapons. Masters worked with ghost hunters before Amity Park went into flames. He stole the blueprints from the leading ghost experts," Phantom explained tearing his eyes from his chest to look at Oliver. "His apparent friends."

"The family he was talking about?" Oliver asked making Phantom straighten up. He was alert and alarmed.

"He's here?" Phantom asked seeming to try to keep his feelings inside. Oliver sat up watching the hybrid.

"Yeah, my family just had dinner with him," Oliver answered watching the hybrid carefully.

"Don't let him near them again if you value their lives. He won't hesitant to kill them if he thinks that anything is wrong or going to go wrong," Phantom warned. Oliver leaned back listening carefully. If the teen was right, then he had to watch out for whatever could go wrong. "His secrets…he will know everything before you even know. He plays thing close to the vest, and he uses ghosts to do his bidding. They are harder to track and better than a spy in anything here in the human world."

"How do I fight a ghost?" Oliver asked looking up at the ghost. Phantom smiled slightly.

"I can make your weapons so that they can hurt one," he stated making Oliver look at him confused.

"How do you know that I won't use them against you?" Oliver asked. Phantom looked at him with a frown.

"I told you that I have nothing left to lose. Why would I care if you hurt my enemies?" Phantom questioned back. "After that, I could care less about what happens to me."

"After we take down Masters and his entire organization down, what do you plan on doing after that?" Oliver asked wondering what the teen planned.

"I quit planning ahead a while ago," Phantom stated studying the floor. "After a while, they just become hopeless dreams that cause more pain than they help."

"Well then, we can just plan on this, and when everything is done, you can figure out then," Oliver stated standing up. "Can you pull up what Masters could be working on here in Starling City?"

"I'm in Starling City?" Phantom asked looking up at the man. "Wow, that's a long way from home."

"From Amity? It is," Oliver stated. They sat in silence for awhile while Phantom just kind of moved the chair back and forth. Oliver thought for a moment knowing that bringing anything else up would probably just bring back painful memories for the teen. He was still having his own issues coming back that he never truly thought about. "Ever shot an arrow?" Phantom looked up at him with a smile.

"Depends," he challenged using his ice powers to create his own. "I've thrown one similar to this. Not as detailed because of time." Oliver smiled as he tossed a couple tennis balls at the hybrid who caught them without flinching.

"Throw them towards that wall," he ordered as he picked up his bow and an arrow and aimed. Phantom smiled and tossed them. Each arrow shot hit the ball and pinned it to the wall. Phantom grinned.

"I've shot ghost weapons, and my own powers, but I don't think I've ever shot an arrow," Phantom stated standing up. Oliver could tell that his chest was hurting but didn't really show it as much as he did early. "Can I?" Oliver looked at him before handing him the bow along with an arrow. Phantom looked at the target before aiming it himself. Oliver watched him surprised at how steady the teen was when he was concentrated on something. It was an exact copy of how he stood. There was no shaking either.

He was surprised that the teen had no issue even pulling it back from the pounds on it.

"Good stance," Oliver whispered watching as Phantom let go. The arrow struck the center leaving Phantom with a grin.

"Sweet," he muttered. Oliver stared at it in surprise.

"Wow, it took me a couple years to get that good," he whispered. Phantom lowered the bow and handed it back to Oliver.

"I've practiced with almost every other type of weapon," Phantom whispered looking away. "They tried training me so I would be the perfect weapon. The perfect killer. I rebelled against them. Nearly destroyed their labs before I was contained again."

"They created a weapon that they couldn't control," Oliver stated knowing that the teen was probably more dangerous that anyone he had ever faced before. "So they contained you the best they could."

"Ghost shield technology prevented me from being able to escape with my training," Phantom whispered as he stared at the bow. "They trained me to kill and go against everything in my power, in my very being. They left me in that place for a while before they started torture techniques. I was weakened by that point, but I never killed anyone."

"I was trapped on an island for five years," Oliver stated looking up at the hybrid's face. "I never knew you existed until after I got back and started looking into Masters. But some of the things I've seen of you had made national and world news." Phantom shrugged.

"Doesn't matter, everyone thinks I'm the one that destroyed Amity, and maybe they were right. I wasn't there to stop it from happening," Phantom whispered handing the bow back to Oliver. Oliver grabbed it looking at Phantom for a moment before saying anything.

"It's not your fault. You didn't have to do what you did in the first place. It wasn't your job, but you did it anyway," Oliver stated as he set the bow on the table. "You weren't there because of Masters. If you said he's the one that did it, then you had nothing to do with it. You tried, but you weren't enough. If you gave everything to stop it, then nothing is your fault. You tried, and that's what matters most."

"Thousands of lives were lost because I wasn't strong enough to stop a bunch of morons from capturing me," Phantom fumed, and green energy surrounded him. Oliver wondered briefly why he stayed if he had his powers back. "They shouldn't have been able to get to me. I'm supposed to be the hero. The hero is never supposed to lose and let people die."

"Heroes like that are only in fantasies," Oliver stated. "TV shows, comics. Here in the real world, nothing is certain. But if you do whatever you can in order to protect those around you, I would consider you a hero. You fight for everyone and not just yourself." Phantom sent him a smile.

"Thanks, that means a lot," Phantom whispered as all the insults and blame that he had gotten for the past year came to mind suddenly. He pushed the pain back so he could focus on what Oliver had just said. His core hummed again. It didn't hurt anymore and he wasn't sure if that a good thing or not.

"I do have a question. If you have your powers back, why are you staying?" Oliver asked watching the teen sit back on the chair. Phantom smiled up at him.

"Where would I go? I can't go home, and I don't know this area all that well," Phantom stated looking up at Oliver. "What can I really do without getting myself into even more trouble?"

"You have a point," Oliver stated as he leaned against the table that had his arrows placed on it. "I will have to go home soon though. Can I trust you to stay here and not do anything stupid?"

"Yeah," Phantom whispered knowing that there was nothing he could really do right now. He didn't know enough about anything. Oliver looked at him before motioning for him to follow.

"I have a cot here for us if we end up working late or we just don't want to go home," Oliver stated as he pulled out the cot, blankets, and pillows. Phantom smiled as he picked up the blanket. He hadn't had the luxury of one since his capture. It was nice to feel something soft. Oliver noticed how Phantom seemed to be in a daze while he held one of the blankets. He wondered how the ghost felt right now. The ghost seemed to just be completely distracted by the blanket. "Kid, you okay?"

"Yeah," Phantom stated shaking his head and looking at Oliver with a small smile.

"You sure? You spaced out on me there for a moment," Oliver stated as he set up the bed by his training area.

"I haven't slept on something like this in a while," Phantom whispered. "I was either thrown into a cell or forced to sleep on the floor or was just strapped to a table. Neither was very comfortable but I got used to it."

"Well, you said you wanted us to treat as a person, so you get a bed," Oliver smiled as he locked the bars in place. "The bathrooms are upstairs to your right. I would just be careful that no one hears you."

"I'm a ghost; I can be invisible," Phantom stated as he wrapped the blanket around himself like a cape. He enjoyed the softness of it and it felt like he was safe. Oliver shook his head.

"Diggle should be back shortly," he informed as he pulled up the computer screen and started typing in some information. Phantom sat down on the cot and was just content being there. Even if it was going to be until they were done with him, he wasn't going to give this chance up. He enjoyed the little things, and he knew that it was only going to last for so long.

Oliver watched the ghost closely from the corner of his eye and knew that Phantom must have been just enjoying the fact he got a bed. He couldn't complain much since he knew the feeling, but he had something softer than concrete to sleep on while he was on the island. Phantom didn't even have that luxury. He was just used as property the entire time.

"Phantom," he whispered turning towards the ghost who was just sitting there in his own little world. "Can you get into Master's files from any of the companies?" Phantom opened his eyes and shrugged.

"I dunno," he mumbled hesitantly standing up and going towards the computer. He really didn't want to get up, but he figured it would be a wise decision in case Oliver decided that he wasn't worth it. "I know the system is run by four different labs in a closed circuit. To get in, you need to find a hole."

"What kind of hole?" Oliver asked making Phantom grin slightly before typing in a few things into the system's login.

"Plasmius's," Phantom whispered as the entire system booted up and suddenly they had access to everything. "This should be all the companies, their research, where they are located, and should include secrets labs such as the one in Master's basement of his Wisconsin home…which is right there," Phantom pointed to a large dot labeled DJF. Oliver looked at him confused.

"How'd you do that?" he questioned as they seemed though some files from that lab.

"He is a control freak and installed the hole in the system himself so he could watch over everything with a simple click of his mouse. He didn't understand that I could hack into without an issue either because one, he's predictable when it comes to computers, and two, my best friend's dad designed the whole thing. Including the worm that would let him have access. He just didn't know that much since I kind of over heard it from several of his employees before Amity was burned down. They were talking about how he knew everything," Phantom explained as he continued his search though the labs. "I don't know which labs are which, but…" He stopped when he seen what his next stop was supposed to be. Oliver looked over it before pulling Phantom away from the screen.

"Hey, I got you before that happened," Oliver stated sitting him on the cot. The teen was shaking and freaking out. Oliver gently pinned his arms to the bed so the teen wouldn't attack him. "I'm not letting anyone take you anywhere, alright? This is your home right now."

"No," Phantom closed his eyes and fell to his side, and Oliver closed his eyes as he realized that the stitches tore. Green and red bled though the wrap around his chest. Oliver picked the teen up and put him on their table to redo the stitches and bandages before he put the teen back on the cot. He really didn't want blood, or whatever, on the cot.

"Alright," Oliver whispered as he took off the bandages; however, it wasn't just the Y-shaped wound on his chest that was bleeding, it was a healed over scar that went from his right shoulder to his left hip that was bleeding slowly. The middle part around the Y incision was what was bleeding, but he didn't understand how it would have opened. It had been a simple scar. "How on earth…" he trailed off and just stitched it up and re-bandaged it. "Kid, I'm going to destroy Masters."

He couldn't wait until he put an arrow though the man's heart.

He set the teen back on the bed before going to the computer again to go over everything. He had access to what Masters wanted. He was going to clone the teen to make armies, but actually doing all that to the teen was enough to make him want to kill the man without giving him a chance. He searched for about an hour before Diggle came back.

"Oliver, I have some clothes for our friend, and some extra food," he informed as he set everything on the table. "Did he decide to sleep then?"

"He passed out after hacking into Master's systems," Oliver informed. "I think blood loss was part of it, and then shock. Master's plans for him. It freaked him out a little." Diggle looked at the kid.

"Well, I brought some Tai food," he informed as he took it out. "I hope he likes it."

"At this point, I don't think he cares," Oliver stated as he got out the clothes and started setting up an area for Phantom to have everything. "He just wants to feel like someone again."


	3. The Arrows

The Hybrid List

 _Chapter Two_

 _The Arrows_

 _"Laws control the lesser man… Right conduct controls the greater one."_

 _~Mark Twain~_

* * *

 **Queen Steel Mill 0200 Hours**

Diggle watched silently as the teen ate his food. Phantom was slow and made sure that everything tampered with. He was still pretty wary, but didn't seem like he wanted to hurt anyone. Diggle tried to start some small talk, but the teen only gave short small answers that really didn't answer anything.

"Phantom, are you okay?" Diggle asked seeing that the teen put his food down and seemed to hold his chest.

"It feels as though my core is tearing itself out of my chest," Phantom whispered holding his chest and pushing against it slightly. "I don't…" Phantom let out a short scream. Diggle kneeled down in front of him and gently moved the teen's hands away from his chest to look. There was nothing there, but Phantom was tearing at the bandages. Diggle grabbed Phantom's hand in his own and held them down. His core hadn't been hurting earlier, it had felt somewhat normal. More so than before.

"Stop, hang on," Diggle whispered as he gently placed his hand on the bandage. The spot was burning hot, and Diggle knew that the ghost had been cooler than normal. "You're chest feels like its on fire."

"It hurts," Phantom gasped looking at his wrists that were still trapped. He knew he could get them out, but he was afraid of what Diggle would do to him. Diggle gently rubbed Phantom's shoulder.

"I need you to breath," Diggle whispered. "You're beginning to panic. You need to calm down. It could be a poison or even an infection. Just hang on; I might have something that could help." Phantom nodded laying back against the chair trying to calm down. He wrapped his arms around his chest as the world blurred around him. Diggle was suddenly next to him again tilting his head back. Phantom struggled slightly, but gave up when Diggle poured the contents down the hybrid's throat.

Phantom coughed a little before losing consciousness. A bright light appeared around his waist before disappearing. Diggle stepped back in surprise, but was relieved when nothing happened. He picked the kid up and laid him back on the bed. After pulling the blankets over Phantom's body, he went back to the computer. He researched at a few articles about the teen's heroic in Amity. Learning that the teen was always questioned made him think of Oliver and Starling.

Shutting down the system, Diggle leaned back into the chair and watched the hybrid carefully till darkness come over him.

* * *

Oliver walked down to the hideout in the morning to see Diggle asleep in the chair and Phantom studying one of his arrows. He shook his head as Phantom gave him a small smile. Oliver motioned him over to the computer desk before grabbing a small journal from his desk. Phantom watched him carefully.

"You want to know what this is?" Oliver asked deciding that if the kid thought that he was just going to be used and then thrown to the side, then he was going to prove him wrong. He could use the kid's help in their cause. A ghost can get into places he couldn't, and he could use someone like that. Phantom could also give him a way to keep people off his trail and even to distract them if he needed to get out of a sticky situation. That type of help would be invaluable to them.

"A book with a list a names," Phantom answered looking at him. "I don't know why or what it means."

"Were you really that paranoid?" Oliver asked watching the ghost carefully.

"Mainly bored," Phantom whispered as he wondered away. "Do you have a bathroom I could use?"

"Yeah, up the stairs and to the right, second door. It's labeled, and don't go any farther than that," Oliver stated as he started up the computers again. Phantom looked at him strangely before heading up. He looked around to find the bathrooms quickly. He entered and looked in the mirror.

Dark and dull green eyes stared back at him. They were full of pain, and Phantom closed them before opening them again to really look at himself. He had a black shirt on with a pair of grey sweats. Diggle had given them to him to sleep in, but he wished he still had his jumpsuit. It had his picture of his family.

It was long gone though. They had taken it.

"Man, how'd I even survive," Phantom whispered feeling his ribs brush against the shirt. He sighed before leaning against the wall and sadly looking into the mirror at himself.

* * *

"Diggle," Oliver called shaking the man's shoulder. Diggle groaned before looking around.

"Where'd Phantom go?" he asked slightly worried. Oliver pointed upstairs.

"He went to the bathroom. I was wondering if you found anything else out," Oliver wondered as he turned the computer on.

"Phantom, something happened, and his chest felt like it was on fire. I don't know what it was, but I was able to get some of your magic plant down his throat," Diggle explained rubbing his eye. "They put a failsafe in him if he did get out of their care." Oliver nodded.

"Probably," Oliver said. "He seems alright now; he just went upstairs to the bathroom. It probably did save him."

"Oliver, how are we going to go about this? I don't know about you, but I want to put a bullet though Masters. Phantom seems like a really good kid," Diggle said as Oliver pulled up some information.

"Well, we managed to freak Masters out a little. He's leaving in four days," Oliver informed. "He's also backed out of the deal with my family, so that's a plus. But now we need to get him taken down. If he was experimenting on Phantom, then there might be more."

"You think he's nervous about the Hood?" Diggle asked watching the door for Phantom. "Or he's afraid of Phantom being loose?"

"I think he's afraid of Phantom. Phantom knows a lot about Masters and he knows how to take him down," Oliver said as they heard the door open. Phantom started down the stairs. "I think we have the wild card that can take him down and hard."

"He's also injured," Diggle pointed out as Phantom slowly came down the stairs. He looked a little spooked, but otherwise unharmed. "You alright?"

"Not really, but I think I will be," Phantom smiled at them. He was free, and he wasn't going to stop until Masters was taken down. "So what are your plans for Masters?"

"I think he's scared," Oliver stated. "He's shortened his stay here in Starling."

"Well, that's odd. He doesn't get scared easily," Phantom informed looking at the screen Oliver had up. "But maybe there's something that I don't know. Something else going on. Maybe dealing with that list you have?"

"You believe there's more?" Oliver asked. He knew the list contained names of people who hurting Starling, and he knew that someone else wrote the list. He wasn't sure, and now, with another set of eyes, he might be able to figure it out from an outside perspective. Maybe there was something more going on that involved the list.

"Nothing is ever what is seems. Take me for example: I'm capable of vanishing into thin air," Phantom smiled before disappearing into thin air making both Oliver and Diggle tense lightly before he reappeared. "Especially when it comes to Masters."

"Then we need to take him down and figure out what exactly what is going on," Oliver said. He was going to get this kid justice. The kind that couldn't be found in a courtroom. Phantom smiled before leaning against a table and grabbing an arrow.

"I'm all ears," Phantom grinned before raising his hand and creating an exact copy of the arrow out of ice. "I've practiced a little at making them." Oliver smiled. Phantom would make an excellent ally. Good at hiding and fighting alongside Oliver with his own powers, Phantom would be an unstoppable force.

"You need an outfit," Diggle smiled lighting as they pulled up ideas for him. Phantom smiled as they got to work on getting him back up to hero shape.

"That would be nice considering they took my suit from before. Can it be black and white?" Phantom asked with a grin. He had some ideas on what he wanted. Oliver felt a small smile at the opportunistic hybrid.

"You can do whatever you want," Oliver said as they got to work. He already had a bow coming in for him. Since he seemed to like to shoot his, it would be nice to have someone else to shoot and practice with.

* * *

 **MastersCorp**

"Have you found the body?" Masters asked angrily. He wasn't expecting the vigilante to go though his lab and get Phantom. The clone wasn't stable yet. They still couldn't get the mid morph DNA needed for it, and now everything had gone to hell. They killed Phantom, and he would never be able to get the son he always wanted.

Maddie was gone, and now so was Danny. Masters growled. This was Merlin's fault. He avoided Starling as much as he could until everything was stable and he could continue his research. But the time was coming closer and closer and the success of what happened in Amity Park made Merlin's plans move faster. Pairing with Queen's Allied Sciences would have helped him get the equipment needed to force Phantom's change and stabilized it long enough for them to get what was needed.

"No, sir. We have yet to recover it and we still can't find his ecto signature," the agent informed. "We've driven all over Starling City so far."

"Keep looking," Masters demanded angrily as he started pacing. He was going to end this so called 'Vigilante' once and for all. If the Vigilante was giving Merlin trouble, then there was no telling what exactly that nutjob could uncover about him while he was in Starling.

He had his own plans, and Merlin wasn't going to screw it up for him. After Maddie died and Danny refusing to go with him, he knew he went a little crazy. Amity Park was just a test, and an easy one due to all the ghost attacks. As long as everyone thought it was ghost related, no one was going to look too closely at what had actually happened, but he hadn't counted on Danny actually figuring it all out in the end.

The Little Badger was smarter than he thought.

* * *

 **Verdant**

Phantom was pacing across the floor. Oliver watched him closely. The kid was muttering to himself ever since he finished his lunch.

"You okay?" Oliver asked when Phantom stopped and closed his eyes.

"I need to shift, but there was so much damage, and I have no idea what could happen when I do," Phantom told him still seeming to pay attention to something else. He could feel the warmth of his human half even closer to the surface than he could before. Oliver looked at him slightly confused.

"Shift?" Oliver asked watching the ghost closely.

"I told you Masters was like me with powers, well…we…I have a human half, and he has a ghost half that we can shift between the two," Phantom explained flipping his hand back and forth. "My human half is thought to be dead along with the rest of Amity Park, but I can hide my ecto signature underneath my human heart, and no one would be able to trace it. Something I learned about a week before Amity burnt to the ground."

"You are full of surprises," Oliver nodded as Phantom looked at him. "If you are capable, try. I'm here is anything does happen." Phantom looked at him.

"Alright," Phantom smiled slightly before letting a bright white ring form. "I really hope this doesn't backfire." Oliver watched it traveled across the body. The room seeming to get slightly warmer. A torn white shirt and ripped blue jeans appeared. The white aura around him disappeared as his eyes turned blue and his hair jet black. "Well, that went better than I thought it would. Hey, my clothes still exist!"

"You didn't fall or pass out." Oliver was relieved, but though the shirt, he could see the scar on the boy's chest. "Although I'm going to need to get new clothes for this side as well. Did your parents have to buy clothes for both sides?"

"Ha, no, Phantom's suit usually regenerated, but they succeed in screwing that all up trying to figure out how that worked," Danny explained. "My name is Danny Fenton. My parents were ghost hunters."

"That's a little weird," Oliver said, nodding and shaking his head lightly. Danny only smiled.

"Yeah, needless to say, I was the kid they picked on all the time," Danny shrugged. "I take it you were the one doing the picking?"

"I really didn't do a lot of picking on other people. More of a party boy than anything else," Oliver admitted. "Didn't really have the time to try to get at other people. Then again, I was enrolled in a private school. Yours was public right?"

"Yeah, I guess there could have a big difference there," Danny admitted with a light shrug. It hurt to think about, but he mourned them all already, and now, he was going to give them the justice they deserved. "But it helps when you're a scientific impossibly to hide your secret identity. Especially when the school thinks you're a dork."

"I guess it helps," Oliver said. "No one would think that a party boy opening a night club would dress in green tights and save the city." Danny smiled as he looked at the box that Oliver had brought in with lunch. "Since I managed to not accidently kill myself…again. Oh, What's that?"

"A surprise," Oliver smiled jumping up over towards the box. Danny followed him curiously. Oliver opened the box to reveal a white bow. Black had already been taken by the dark archer, and with the fact that Danny could literally vanish from sight anyway, it didn't need to be darker to hide it. "You seemed like you liked to shoot mine, so I got you your own."

"Whoa," Danny whispered as he picked it up. It looked a lot like Oliver's only a bright white with black handles instead of green and gold. "Okay, this is awesome. This means you want me to stay here right?"

"Of course, we know something more is going on, but we could use all the extra help we can get. I did research on Phantom, and while there wasn't a whole lot, I got enough to know that you were their hero," Oliver said. "I want to give you back that chance."

"Thanks," Danny smiled pulling back the string and letting an arrow of ice form within it. A grin spread across Danny's face as he let go and the arrow shattered against the target. "Well, maybe that needs more practice." Oliver huffed out a laugh before dragging Danny towards a table.

"I'll show you how to make real arrows, and you can keep practicing your ice arrows as well. Keep the ability hidden for now. We don't want Masters to know that you're still alive. Surprise is sometimes the best thing you can have," Oliver informed as he pulled some white arrows that were also in the box. "Your clothes will be here tomorrow."

"Awesome, 'cause I really don't like being stuck here. I'm very bored," Danny said pulling at his shirt. "Although, are there anymore extra clothes?" Oliver motioned towards a bag they had brought in the night before.

"Yeah, there's some there," Oliver pointed out as his phone started ringing. "I have to take this." Danny nodded as he grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a grey shirt. "Hello?"

 _"Hey, so Mom wants us to meet for dinner,"_ Thea's voice came across the phone annoyed. _"She seemed happy about it, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not."_

"Well, I guess we show up and hope for the best…" Oliver stopped and looked over towards Danny who was changing shirts. Scars crisscrossed on his back, and Oliver knew that those hurt. He had scars as well, and he knew that scars came with the mental ones. "Tell her I'm bringing a friend. He needs to get out of a bad situation, and I think I can help him."

 _"I don't think that…do you think Mom would mind if I brought an extra?"_ Thea asked quickly. Oliver breathed in before deciding it would be unfair for him to say no.

"Is it someone I know?" Oliver asked.

 _"Yep, but you better be there,"_ Thea threatened before hanging up. Oliver sighed before turning to Danny who was watching him carefully.

"What?"

"Wanna come to dinner?" Oliver asked making the teen's eyebrow's shoot up. "I mean, you said yourself that you didn't want to stay here, but it's up to you."

"Alright," Danny smiled. "Since I'm human, my ghost side can't be found. I've managed to figure how to hide from most tracers designed for me. The only one I couldn't hide from was designed by my parents."

"Good, plus they are probably thinking you died from the poison. Did Diggle figure out how?" Oliver asked as he and Danny headed up the stairs towards Verdant.

"Yeah, there was a small device under my ribs that he managed to get out. It kinda hurt," Danny informed as he raised his shirt up just enough for Oliver to see a bandage over it. "It'll heal in a couple hours."

They came up to the partly finished night club. The bar was in place, but bags still were hanging from the rafters.

"Under the night club you own," Danny marveled as he glanced around. There wasn't any workers around, and he figured that it had something to do with end of the day anyway. "So I get to eat dinner with the famous Queens? Cool."

"Did some research of your own?" Oliver asked watching the hybrid.

"Yeah, I was bored and your computer wasn't locked, so I did some research. Were you really trapped on an island for five years?" Danny asked looking at him curiously.

"Yes," Oliver said shortly when they came up to a motorcycle that was sitting outside. "Did…were you captured before or after the destruction of Amity Park?"

"Before," Danny answered, voice small. "I was in those labs for over a year…Apparently, I'm actually eighteen. How fucked up is it that?" Oliver looked at him sadly.

"Well, I got you out, and if I have anything to say about it, you're never going back," Oliver promised. Danny looked up at him.

"No one has ever promised to protect me. It was always me protecting them. My friends did their best, but…they weren't always enough. Thank you," Danny smiled at him as they both got on. Oliver gave Danny his helmet as they took off towards the Queen Mansion.

* * *

 **Queen Mansion**

"So you each decided to bring someone to dinner," Moria said looking at her two children in confusion. Oliver brought an eighteen year boy and Thea invited Laurel. "I thought I said this was to be a family dinner."

"Ollie started it," Thea defended herself looking at Danny with a smile. He was cute, and about her age. "You said your name was Danny right?"

"Yeah," Danny answered watching her carefully. Knowing what her brother did at night helped to stay clear of that. "Thea?"

"Yep. So, how'd you meet my brother?" she asked as Laurel pulled Oliver away. Moria just looked annoyed at them, but she was interested in how the kid knew Oliver.

"He saved me, and just kinda stayed. He's helped me with a few personal issues," Danny informed looking at them both. "I've…not exactly had the best couple years."

"Oh, well, I'm glad he's helping you," Thea smiled at him. "Do you live in the Glades then?"

"I'm actually from out of town," Danny said as they all sat down. "My family died, and kinda haven't been able to get on my feet."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Moria said as her inner mother came out. This young boy lost his family, and was alone. She was proud of her son for taking this child under his wing. "What happened if you don't mind me asking?"

 _"You can't save everyone, Little Badger," Plasmius sneered dragging the bloodied boy away from the house that was on fire. A green shield surrounded the place till it exploded. The shield flicking away._

"There was a fire," Danny whispered. "They weren't able to get out, and no one could get in to save them."

"How'd you end up here?" Thea asked only for Danny to close his eyes and take in a deep breath.

"A series of unfortunate circumstances," Danny answered trying to pull himself at least somewhat together. His ghost side was rising to the surface, and he couldn't let that happen. It was too dangerous.

"I'm glad you meet my son then," Moria smiled. "Where are you staying?" Danny swallowed a little before answering carefully.

"Your son set me up in a place," Danny smiled lightly. "What about you guys? What have you been doing?"

"Well, I've been working for CNRI. It's a law firm that helps people who can't afford high priced lawyers," Thea started in on a couple cases she was helping on. Danny and Moria both chimed in and asking questions about the work.

"Who is the kid?" Laurel asked narrowing her eyes at Oliver. "And why? I mean Thea hanging out with Roy is one thing, but now you?"

"Hey, I'm just helping the kid," Oliver stated raising his hands. "Besides, he deserves it. What are you doing here? What do you mean about Thea hanging out with Roy? Whose Roy?"

"I heard about Masters being in town, and Thea was acting oddly at the office. I was concerned," she said watching Oliver carefully. Masters was creepy and had nearly gotten her dad killed four years ago. "And Roy…ask your sister."

"She was acting oddly? How?" Oliver asked concerned.

"She was asking questions about the vigilante and exactly what he was. The questions were just worded oddly. After lunch, it was almost like she wasn't even curious," Laurel said looking perplexed. "I'm worried, Ollie."

"She'll be fine," Oliver promised hugging her. "I know it." He had a feeling that whatever happened to Thea that morning may have something to do with Danny. He needed to talk to him before they left just in case.

"Alright," Laurel smiled before heading into the dining room. Danny looked over at her and spotted Oliver motion for him to come to him. Danny quickly excused himself before heading towards him.

"Something wrong?" Danny asked looking at Oliver in concern.

"Can ghosts really overshadow people?" Oliver asked turning from the room. Danny looked at him confused before answering.

"Yes, why?"

"Laurel said Thea was acting strangely today asking about my side job," Oliver informed looking around for any one overhearing. "Can you tell if someone has been overshadowed recently?"

"Yeah, but that requires dragging Phantom to surface a lot more than I should. I don't have to change, but there will be a noticeable change in the environment."

"What kind of change?" Oliver asked not wanting to blow Danny's cover. Hopefully they were far enough away from the city and out of any possible search areas that they might be looking for the kid. If they were even looking, Diggle told him that Master's lab was dark for the past 24 hours.

"Sudden freezing temperatures," Danny smiled sheepishly. "I can control it a little bit as a human. It won't be so…chilling. But still, they will notice. That's the problem with ghosts. They can cause change in an environment. Cold and a sudden feeling of panic."

"Alright, well…" Oliver started not sure how this was going to go. Danny looked over the Thea.

"She's not now, and she was talking about things from earlier. Usually after being overshadowed the person acts off trying to fill the blanks. They don't always remember what happened," Danny explained. "Maybe she's just hiding something and it has nothing to do with ghosts?"

"I just want all my bases covered," Oliver said as Danny took a couple steps back from him.

"Alright, the effect will be stronger on you than them," Danny said looking up at him. "They might feel a chill for a few seconds, but nothing else. You'll feel colder, longer."

"You can do it from a different room?" Oliver asked realizing that this would make it easier, and if he was the one with the worse effect, then no one would need to ask questions. Danny looked up at him with bright green eyes before chills shot down his spine.

"Whoa, cold chill," Thea said from the other room. "Hey! I was hoping for springtime." As everyone in there was laughing, Danny looked at Oliver with bright green eyes.

"She wasn't. So now what?" Danny asked as the chill left just as sudden as it came.

"I don't know. I'm glad, but concerned too," Oliver stated looking over at his sister who was listening to Laurel explain something more on what they were working on at CNRI.

"Well, we'll just have to keep our eyes open then," Danny stated as Diggle entered from outside to start his shift. He looked at Danny in surprised and then Oliver.

"Uh, who's this?" Diggle asked a little confused. Oliver smiled forgetting that they didn't tell Diggle that Phantom had a human half.

"Danny," Danny answered with a smile that made Diggle do a double take. He knew that smile from somewhere. "Danny Phantom, or Fenton in this form."

"Oh, you can…I guess that makes sense if you're a hybrid like Masters. That means he also has a ghost form then?" Diggle asked making sure to keep his voice down.

"Yes, Plasmius, or the Wisconsin Ghost. I call him a fruitloop in either form to be honest," Danny shrugged as Moria walked into the room.

"Dinner is ready, why don't we go sit," she said with a kind smile as Oliver nodded and headed in, Danny following. Diggle stayed out and guarded the room. Moria pulled Danny off to the side to speak with him.

"Danny, I'm curious, where are you from?" she asked. She knew what was about to happen and didn't want Danny in the crossfire if she could help it. He seemed like a good kid.

"It's…complicated. Extremely, but let's just say, it doesn't exist anymore," Danny winced. "I don't really want to talk about it." Moria nodded.

"I'm glad my son helped you. He's been…different since he came back, but maybe you can help him just like he's helping you?" Moria whispered. "I'm worried."

"Everyone has secrets to protect those that they love, but sometimes holding back hurts the ones we love more than it helps," Danny started with a small smile. Moria was concerned that the boy may know more than he should. "But, trust the person to do the right thing in the end when it comes down to it." Moria nodded before going into the room and sitting at the head of the table with Danny sitting next to Oliver.

* * *

 **Verdant**

Tommy looked around the place again. He knew avoiding Oliver wasn't really the best way to go about knowing his secret, but he was hurt. Oliver was never going to tell him about being the Hood. A murderer. He wasn't sure which was worse, until he seen that kid hanging around him. Tommy was concerned as to why the kid knew about him to begin with. No one should be hanging around Oliver; it was too dangerous.

Tommy didn't feel comfortable leaving until he knew everything about the kid and why he was hanging around. He wasn't going to leave some kid to Oliver's mercy if he could do anything about it. Plus he really didn't want to go to his father for help.

Even if he wanted to.

Tommy turned when he heard Oliver and another voice come in. Tommy swallowed the lump his throat as he headed up to them. He looked at the kid, and the kid seemed pretty relaxed if a little uneasy about him being there.

"Tommy?" Oliver greeted carefully unsure if he was welcome or not. They have been avoiding each other for the past few days, but he was hoping that Tommy wouldn't do anything or say anything that could give him away. He did manage to at least save his father a couple weeks ago.

"Who's this?" Tommy demanded making the kid glare at him. Tommy wasn't going to play nice with Oliver just yet.

"Danny," the kid answered crossing his arms. "What crawled up your ass and died?" Tommy looked taken back for a moment before sending a glare to Oliver who only shrugged.

"Don't look at me, you pissed him off," Oliver defended before backing away slightly. Danny only looked Tommy up and down.

"Who the hell are you?" Danny asked still guarded. Danny watched Tommy carefully as the man seemed angry at Oliver for some unknown reason. Although Danny was pretty certain he knew what it may be if this was who he thought he was.

"Tommy," he replied. "What are you doing with Oliver?"

"Guy saved me from being vivisected," Danny answered making Tommy's eyes widen before taking a step back. Danny knew that Tommy just needed a kick in the right direction to not do anything stupid like tell anyone who Oliver really was. Mainly because that would likely expose Danny as well. He wanted to remain dead long enough for them to shut down whatever it was that Plasmius was working on. Technically, Danny had already been dissected, but if it helped get Tommy on their side, then he didn't need to know everything. "Figured I owed him one."

"Viv…I don't…" Tommy seemed confused, and Danny realized that probably wasn't the best response. He needed to really work on subtly and not going too far into detail. Of course after being tortured and not giving enough detail, he lost his filter for an acceptable etiquette. "You were…why?" Tommy realized exactly why this was important, and that chances are he should definitely keep Oliver's secret now.

"Shouldn't exist. You the manager of the Night Club then?" Danny asked changing the topic quickly. Oliver seemed a little annoyed at being outed about how he saved the kid, but at least Tommy didn't seem like he wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

"Yeah..you just drop…" Tommy still was having trouble processing what the kid said. Danny sighed.

"Dude, you guys have been avoiding each other, which isn't good. Especially since its relates to Arrowboy here," Danny pointed to Oliver. "I know a few things about keeping secrets, and the only ones who knew mine were my best friends and sister. Also the fruitloop, but there was an agreement. One secret for a secret," Danny explained. "But you guys seriously need to get this figured out."

"He kills people," Tommy hissed, glaring back at his friend. Danny shrugged.

"People kill other people all the time. People do horrible things to one other. But has any of the people he has killed been innocent?" Danny asked. "'Cause I do my own research and most of those people were wanted for murder or were guns for hire. Or were cutting open teenagers cause they're not exactly human," Danny defended Oliver. "It's all perspective."

"I can't do this," Tommy said. "I…"

"Tommy, I'm sorry. I didn't want to put you in this position," Oliver started only for his friend to glare at him. Danny cut in.

"No, he's in it now. My life is still up in the air. I'm not going back to that lab, and you promised to help me. I don't need someone who I don't know if I can trust or not. Someone who's not sure what to do," Danny interjected vehemently. "I understand he's angry, but I'm not stopping until Masters has been taken down."

"Masters? Like Vlad Masters?" Tommy asked looking between the two. Oliver closed his eyes before turning to his friend.

"Yes, Masters had him locked in one of his labs here in Starling for whatever reason," Oliver informed.

"He's right," Tommy mumbled looking down. He knew about how creepy Masters was. He had meet the man not even six hours ago when he was talking to his father. "I'm sorry, Oliver. This might be too much…but I have your back."

"Thank you," Oliver whispered. Tommy looked at Danny again.

"What did you mean by not exactly being human?" Tommy asked figuring maybe he could at least get some answers about what the team was working on. He didn't know everything- he didn't want to-but he wanted to help keep Danny safe at least. He was after all still just a kid.

"Part ghost," Danny shrugged. "Accident in my parent's lab. Created a portal to the Ghost Zone. A couple years later, Masters destroys Amity Park." Tommy was horrified. Partly because the story and partly because Danny seemed a little too nonchalant about it.

"You're from Amity Park?" he asked. Remembering those horrifying moments when that's what was all over the news.

"I'm the Phantom of Amity Park," Danny answered looking at the guy with a smile. "Oliver's helping me to take down Masters. Wanna help?"

* * *

 **Hey, it's done and betaed!**

 **Thanks to 6BlueSweaters**


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